Whole Health (11 page)

THE SPIRIT OF SIXTH SENSE: THE ANCIENT EAST

The primary difference between traditional Chinese medicine and classical Chinese medicine is the spiritual and mystical dimension. It has been said that traditional Chinese medicine is an edited form of classical Chinese medicine, intended to meet the more mechanistic standards of the modern world. Classical Chinese medicine, on the other hand, is based on centuries of the intuitive and contemplative insights of sages. It also encompasses theories and practices that draw from literature, astronomy, astrology, and mysticism. It's about so much more than the discipline and technicalities of the body's acupuncture pathways. It's more about attaining a higher wisdom of “the way of things.”

Intuition is a topic often written about in ancient and contemporary classical Chinese medical texts. Many theorize that it represents an influence first introduced into the ancient culture by the Huns. In China, intuition is generally thought of as a natural phenomenon and has long been considered an important communication link between the practitioner and the integral body of universal wisdom. It is also believed that the body of universal wisdom can only be accessed through very deep emotional and spiritual concentration. As with Chinese philosophy, classical Chinese medicine ascribes to the philosophy of duality, best characterized by the dualism of yin and yang, and to a belief that balance is of paramount importance. The thought of implementing logic without intuition simply wouldn't occur to them.

Classical Chinese medicine and the spiritual tradition of Taoism are enfolded.
Tao
is often translated as “The Way.” Taoist philosophy teaches that it is only by perceiving with the heart that one can come to know the way of truth in all things. When it comes to Chinese Taoist philosophy, intuition is rarely a point of focus.
There is a far greater emphasis placed on the wisdom of an inner knowing, which supersedes both intuition and logic.

Ta Chuech
means “To awaken from the dream of life.”
Pao-i
translates as “Embrace the one.” By awakening from the disintegrated dream of life and embracing integral “oneness,” it is believed that we gain access to the flow, unbound by the limitations of the five senses. This doesn't imply entering into any mind states, but rather evolving to a level of realization that results in a greater sixth-sensory awareness.

Ancient Chinese Taoists believed in “a way of things”—a flow and gravity to the nature of life—that pre-exists human manifestation. This is a natural process that, shining through the inherent chaos of the universe, reflects life's order and sequence.

Sixth-sensory awareness is the natural result of mastering the art of “non-doing.” By non-doing, I'm referring to clearing the mind of the world's noise to gain access to the silent way of all information. Cultivating and living in such a state of knowing greatly enhanced the diagnostic skills of ancient Chinese medical practitioners. They could anticipate, and therefore prevent, illness and mishaps. They lived and evolved in a state of heightened awareness, allowing for greater sensory access. By evolving their sixth-sensory awareness, they became preeminent physicians. Their innate ability to diagnose and get to the root of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual imbalances was extraordinary. By grasping and adhering to the way of things, they came to know all things.

OUR MYSTICAL NATURE

Sixth-century philosopher and author of the
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu once said: “The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.” I have always protected myself, my patients, and all those I love by engaging my
sixth-sensory awareness in all that I do. My inclination to bring intuition into my life is merely the result of my deep, abiding compassion. You might say that my mystical nature is a reflection of my spiritual nature. I see it as purely exponential. The more refined your vibration, the more powerful your compassion. If you care about someone, you want to be generous to them. If you care deeply about them, you'll want to give them even more. Inspired by spiritual compassion, I want to give everything I've got. Our spiritual nature seeks to do whatever is necessary to relieve whatever pain and suffering we can. As one of my beloved spiritual teachers, Sri Mata Gyatri Devi, always used to say, “Give it away. Give it all away!”

The word
mystical
is generally defined as having a spiritual reality not apparent to the senses. That's assuming, of course, that our spiritual consciousness doesn't reflect extrasensory awareness. I think of our extrasensory awareness as one innate form of intelligence that we were naturally endowed with. Our mystical nature is a gift that we can choose to develop for our life's greater good, as well as the greater good of those whose lives we touch. I believe that we all have a mystical or spiritual nature that's aligned with higher values, such as compassion, love, and forgiveness. Our human nature emanates from the corporeal self. Our mystical nature emanates from the domains of spirit and soul. These domains represent centers of higher energetic vibration that allow us access to sixth-sensory intelligence.

When our mystical nature is engaged, we're also activating very specific vectors in our brain that operate inductively, or intuitively. If we fail to exercise these areas of our brain, they tend to weaken. If regularly engaged, on the other hand, there's no limit to what we can do with them. It's all about breaking down our resistance to our own mystical nature.

Every culture represents an experiment. Ancient Eastern culture is, for the most part, steeped in a history accented with mysticism.
Our contemporary Western experiment is centered on materialism. It isn't too difficult to figure out why we have decided to exclude sixth-sensory reality altogether. It's neither materially profitable nor is it anything that can be double-blind-control studied. Where our system of medicine is mechanistic, the ancient Chinese system of medicine is vitalistic.

Classical Chinese medicine is based on a system of internal alchemy. This system was all about disciplining its practitioners to sharpen their mystical senses. They believed that nature spoke her own silent language and that only by learning to decipher it could they advance their mystical potential.

Theirs is a message that reminds us that we've all been graced with the innate power to know outcomes well in advance of their onset. They inspire us to tune in deeply within and all around us. For many, sixth-sensory awareness simply doesn't exist. Among an ever-growing population, however, it's believed to hold the secrets of our true mystical nature and its infinite possibilities.

Calming the Five Seas

Many of us are convinced that we have little or no sixth-sensory awareness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Calming the Five Seas and Merging with the Great Sea are two very powerful Whole Health exercises designed to strengthen your command of your sixth-sensory awareness. Classical Chinese medicine teaches that we have three vital energy centers, or “seas of ch'i,” called
dantiens
. These seas of energy are responsible for the storage and cultivation of our life energy. There is a lower, middle, and upper sea. Along with these three vital energy points, Whole Health includes two vital points in its Calming the Five Seas energy protocol. The addition of these two acupuncture points (CV 12 and CV 22) will better enable you to clear your mind of clutter and anxiety, opening you up to a clearer stream of consciousness.

FIGURE 3.1
Balancing the Five Seas

1.
The first acupuncture point is the lower sea, also called the Sea of Ch'i, and is located approximately two fingers below the navel and two fingers behind the skin. It is Conception Vessel 6, or CV 6 (see Figure 3.1). The lower sea corresponds with the kidneys and controls thoughts and feelings. The lower sea is thought to be the energy center responsible for grounding, or rooting. This is where one can settle down one's nervous system from the destabilizing influences of negative thoughts and restless emotions.

2.
The second point is called the Middle Earth. It is located between the first and second seas, four fingers above the navel and two fingers behind the skin. This is the Conception Vessel 12 acupuncture point, or CV 12, noted for calming obsessive thinking.

3.
The third point, or middle sea, is often called the Sea of Tranquility. The middle sea is located two fingers behind the heart. This is the Conception Vessel 17 acupuncture point, or CV 17. This point corresponds with both the emotional and physical heart, as well as the thymus gland. It is associated with emotion, immunity, vitality, and the overall health of the internal glands and organs.

4.
The fourth point is called the Celestial Chimney, located between the second and third seas, in the center of the suprasternal fossa. It is Conception Vessel 22, or CV 22. Among other things, this point is noted for calming rising anxiety and stress.

5.
The fifth and final point is the upper sea, located at the forehead, between the eyes, and two fingers behind the center point between the eyebrows. Often called the Central Mark, the upper sea corresponds with the pineal gland and is responsible for governance over the higher consciousness, intellect, and wisdom of the spirit.

Once in balance, we are then able to expand our energy field so as to be able to merge our personal seas of energy with the great universal sea of energy. The whole purpose of Merging with the Great Sea is to attain greater powers of sixth-sensory energy diagnosis and healing. I was spiritually guided to develop this exercise a number of years ago. It continues to successfully assist many sixth-sensory practitioners of energy medicine.

The exercise is simple and should be practiced often and just before engaging in EMT diagnostic testing (see chapter 4). If practiced properly, Merging with the Great Sea will transform one's sixth-sensory adeptness in no time and with little effort.

Before beginning this exercise, it is important to prepare properly. Make sure you are comfortable and in a quiet environment with little or no distraction. Turn off all phones, and put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. This entire exercise shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes, but it requires quiet concentration.

Clearing the Mortal Haze is initiated by taking three deep breaths. Begin by breathing out until you can't empty your lungs any more. Hold the exhale for three full seconds. Then slowly take your first full inhale until you can't fill your lungs with any more air. Hold the breath in for a full three seconds. Now, while still holding the breath, open your mouth, count to three, and exhale with your mouth wide open. Make sure to once again fully clear the lungs. Now slowly take your second full inhale, making sure to fill your lungs fully again, and hold the breath for a count of three. Again, open your mouth while still holding your breath, and count to three. Exhale with your mouth fully open and completely clear your lungs of the breath. Now take your third and final inhale, making sure to really fill your lungs. Hold the breath in for a full three seconds. Again, hold the breath in, open your mouth, and continue to hold for a full count of three. With mouth fully open, release your third and final clearing exhale. Now you are ready to begin Merging with the Great Sea.

You may practice this exercise either sitting or standing. Remember, without being too concerned about keeping exact time, each of the five Merging exercises should last for approximately three minutes.

Now, as you begin, remain relaxed, with eyes closed.

Merging with the Great Sea

1.
Clearing the Mortal Haze
—This balances the first sea of ch'i and clears fear, anxiety, and confusion. As with each of the following exercises, one should begin Clearing the Mortal Haze fully relaxed and seated with eyes closed. Next, place both hands (left under right for men and right under left for women) over your navel and focus all of your mind's attention there. Envision healing radiant sunlight traveling down both of your arms and depositing into your lower
dantien
. As the light travels down your arms and hands, at last arriving at your
dantien
, picture it spinning in a counterclockwise spiral direction (you are the clock, facing outward—this means your incoming energy spiral will be spinning to your right). This is an important Wenchiech'u technique that will markedly increase the incoming ch'i. (The following chapters will discuss Wenchiech'u in greater detail.) This exercise should last no more than three minutes.

FIGURE 3.2
Merging with the Great Sea